Western Kentucky junior center Jamarion Sharp already has a triple-double in his short time with the Hilltoppers, but the 7-foot-5 big man may have had his most complete effort of the season in Saturday’s 82-72 win over Louisville at E.A. Diddle Arena.

Sharp was a presence on both ends of the floor, helping WKU take advantage of the absence of one of Louisville’s top post players Malik Cunningham. Sharp tallied 14 points, eight rebounds and four blocked shots in WKU’s first victory over Louisville since 2008.

“It means a lot,” Sharp said. “I had all my friends and all my family come in from Hopkinsville and all over to watch me play. It feels good to play well and get this (win) tonight with them in the building.”

Sharp provided the 7,053 fans in attendance with some exciting moments on offense. He had several thunderous dunks that brought the crowd to its feet and helped WKU lead wire-to-wire.

But it was his play on the defensive end that drew the praise of Louisville coach Chris Mack.

Sharp clogged up the middle, making it hard for Louisville to get to the rim, with the Cardinals’ offense mainly confined to the perimeter. Louisville had 64 shots, 36 from 3-point range, and finished with seven free-throw attempts.

“He’s so unique,” Mack said. “They can spread their zone out a lot further than most teams can. Even shots that he doesn’t block around the paint are completely affected. We had some guys that would throw up one-legged, one-handed shots that would hit the top of the glass instead of landing. He changes the game. He changes the game on both ends of the floor.”

Mack’s praise had extra meaning for Sharp, who was recruited by Louisville before coming to WKU.

“It speaks a lot coming from Louisville,” Sharp said. “Coming out of (junior college) they were one of the first ones to recruit me. I know he is probably like, ‘Man, I wish we could have him because he makes a difference on the floor.’ A lot of people tell me that I bring energy coming off the bench or starting. I just try to do that every game.”

WKU coach Rick Stansbury said with Sharp on the floor, it gives the Hilltoppers an option that most teams don’t have.

“One thing you know as a coach, going into every game, there are not gonna be many layups,” Stansbury said. “He is a factor in there. That is for sure.”{&end}